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Nathan Beard:
Artist Analysis:
Nathan Beard is a contemporary photographer who was born in 1987. His mother was Thai and his father was Australian. Through his work, he explores his culture and the contrast in traditions between Australians and Thai people. He is based in Perth and explores mediums, including photography, sculpting, and video. This artist graduated from Curtin University as a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours. In 2015, he studied Western interpretations of South-Asian objects in the British Museum and The Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Beard spent time in China at a pottery workshop where he created a piece in the fractured viewpoints of ‘cultural imperialism’, where native cultures impose values, practices, and traditions onto specific traditional communities. This is often seen with the domination of the Western world on smaller minorities.
Through his work, he explores his culture and the contrast in traditions between Australians and Thai people. He explained in an interview that his “mixed race background offers up an in-between-ness,”. “There’s a sense of hybrid perspective that allows me to explore how these influences are confused and how there can be a form of slippage apparent in their interpretation… I also have a complex relationship with these spaces, because I genuinely enjoy them, so there’s a personal conflict there.” Beard explores issues surrounding ornamentation and craft, mainly in relation to his Thai heritage. “I’m interested in processes of adornment that are associated with low-level work, which are often viewed as feminine. I’m trying to push these ideas into a new realm and disrupt them. With the crystal portraits I’m referencing the Thai space my mother curated in my home. She created shrines filled with golden figures and sparkles, all of which are really important to her culture. In Thailand you see these shrine spaces everywhere, but there is a high level of sincerity”. His work explores how identity is forged and how cultural legacies are altered by personal history. This concept began when Beard returned to Thailand to care for his mother’s house. During this time, he explored his Thai heritage and created a series on his family history by imprinting Thai designs on top of old family photos.
I have decided to analyse this image of the artist’s work because it best shows the personalised elements, which are common with Beard’s work. In terms of background, many of Beard’s work are against a white background because this makes the image appear more antiquated. With formal elements such as lighting, he uses a ring light or natural lighting to highlight the composition. This image has a wider aperture, which makes the photo brighter because the photographer has captured more light. Through altering the shutter speed, to make it faster, and the aperture you can control the quantity of light in the image. The exposure is relatively high as there are not excessive amounts of shadow in the image. Nathan Beard frequently uses rule of thirds, and in this specific image of his work, the composition of this image is centralised with every third having a part of the composition within it. As an effect this makes the image the centre of a viewer’s focus. Furthermore, in the central third, is one of the silver patterns. This immediately becomes significant to the image as it is difficult to ignore, when looking at the image.
After editing the image, he prints this edit and then physically sticks on jewels and stickers in a pattern. This overlay often originates from Thailand and are reflective of his culture. His work presents identity as one’s culture and history.
Artist Gallery:
Photoshoot Plan:
I was inspired by this artists exploration of identity through culture and background. To conduct this shoot, I am going to explore the difference between Indian history and English history, by photographing to people of the same age with similar opportunities in life. I want to show how we live in a highly diverse and integrated society, and how our culture's history remains part of our identity today. I am going to shoot this using a phone camera and with natural lighting to make the images appear more old fashioned and aged. In this photoshoot plan, I have drawn a portrait of a women to show the subject that I am going to photograph. The other image is of a person's stomach with a pattern on it to reflect Tatiana Parcero's work.
Contact Sheet:
For this shoot, I took photos of three different looks for each person. The fist was of the face naturally at different angles, then the next was with a pattern relevant to their culture on their face and the last was a different design also on their face. I have selected, which images I want to continue working with and then eliminated those that were poorly shot or had the wrong angles for what I am trying to achieve. Typically contact sheets allow the artist to see all their images in one sheet and then compare them to other images to see which were the most successful.
Editing Process:
To begin with, I select an image that I would like to edit and I crop it, applying the rule of thirds. I want the pattern to always be in the middle third. When choosing which image to edit, I choose one which looks decorous and poised.
Next, I duplicate the layer so that I can always erase steps or burn tool/ paint over anything. I then make the images black and white. I do this by desaturating the image, I make sure that there is still some colour so that the next steps to the editing process look good.
After this, I change the contrast of the image through the levels option. I diminish the shadows of the photo and also increase the highlights subtly. To make the images appear antiquated and like Beard's work, I change the colour lookup. To make them appear old fashioned, I select thee candlelight option. It is important to then also change the opacity of this decreasing it to approximately, seventy five percent.
For some of my edits, I do not add an overlay, however for the ones I do I choose a design that makes the image look antique. I layer it onto the image and then rasterize the layer. This allows me to then go onto blend this overlay so that it fits my image. Instead of changing the blending option I may change the opacity of the layer to around sixty percent. Finally I save the image and upload it to my website.
First Development:
For my study on Nathan Beard, I have created an initial development section, which was made from photographs I took with designs on the two people I photographed. The patterns were stuck onto their faces and resembled designs associated with the culture and family history of each individual. For the first person, I used three different looks, the first shown in this gallery is a design commonly found in regency embroidery. Needlework was a skill that was required amongst every woman. It was a way for her to contribute to her family and distinguish herself from other women. As a part of England's history, I found it important to add this as a composition. Other designs include crosses, which represent pious aspects of English history. England is a predominantly Church of England, Protestant, country and the person I have photographed has a Christian family, therefore I thought it was important to show this in my designs. On the other hand, I represented the Bengali culture in this shoot through using designs that were significant in their traditions. More than 1 million people adhere to the Theravada branch of Buddhism in Bangladesh. Their aim is to become an arahant, an enlightened being, who has escaped the cycle of Samsara and dukkha, suffering. Mandalas are used commonly amongst Buddhist monks to practice detachment as by creating and then washing them away it represents Annica, impermanence. Impermanence is one of the Three Marks Of Existence and Buddhism teaches that this is something that needs to be overcome in order to escape suffering. The design imprinted on the person I photographed was part of a common mandala design. My first developments explore the differences and also the similarities between the Bengali and the English culture. These images were taken with an f-stop of 1.8, which helps to blur the background and allow the image to focus on specific parts of the photo rather than the whole composition. This is achieved through the wider lens which then can let more light in the lens and allow better focus. To heighten this affect I use an ISO of 32.
Highlighting Success:
For my highlighting success, I selected images, which resembled the composition of Nathan Beards family photos. I specifically liked the way that using an overlay made these images appear more antiquated. On the other hand, I have modernised these images by varying the pose of the person shot. I added more interesting angles to interest the audience. In my next developments, I would look to exploring different designs and possibly add colour to the patterns.
Second Developments:
Designs:
For my second developments, I am going to take inspiration from these designs. The first three of these images are important designs in Bengali culture. The necklace is a traditional Bengali necklace and it holds significance in their culture. The other images, derive from the Buddhist faith, the main religion in Bangladesh. On the other hand, The other images in this gallery are typical regency patterns that were embroided onto cloth and hung as tapestries in houses.
Contact Sheet:
I created a contact sheet as it helps to visualize which images were successful and should then can be edited. On the other hand, the images crossed out are ones where possibly the lighting or angle was off and so I won't edit them. It is important to take many photos as it allows room for error and ensures that you have the best quality images. I created this contact sheet on photoshop from the images I took over the weekend for my second developments. These images were taken with an f-stop of 1.8, which helps to blur the background and allow the image to focus on specific parts of the photo rather than the whole composition. This is achieved through the wider lens which then can let more light in the lens and allow better focus. To heighten this affect I use an ISO of 32.
Editing Process:
This is the editing process for my second development, multiple exposure edits.
I conducted a photoshoot with edits I had printed out. I stuck on designs and have now began editing them using photoshop. To begin with, I need to crop the image so that the excess background is not in frame. I needed to take these images using a wider angle to ensure that I had more flexibility when editing.
It is also notable that I rotated the image so that it resembled a portrait and was not horizontal. After this, I changed the saturation, in order to make the images monochromatic. This makes them seem more aged.
Next, I added a colour look up. Selecting the candlelight option, the image began to look more archaic. However, I did not like how intense this filter was, so I lowered the opacity to around 60 percent. After, I also then desaturated the photograph again to resemble Nathan Beard's work.
I wanted to make these images double exposed, wo I duplicated the layer and arranged it so that it mirrored the original image.
Finally, I rasterised the layer and then used the blending tool option. I selected the light colour option. After this, I had to then change the arrangement of the image so that the edge was smooth. I saved the edit and uploaded it to my website.
Second Developments:
To further develop my study on this artist, I completed a reshoot and edited these images using the same techniques and changing the same formal elements as I did for my first developments. For these images I wanted to make my work more similar to Beard. He originally used old family photos and printed them to stick on patterns. Because of this I have taken portraits of two people and printed them out. I have then layered on designs. Some of these designs are important to the Bengali culture, whilst others were from regency period in England.
Highlighting Success:
I chose my most successful edits and placed them in this gallery. I chose four of my favourite ones. I liked these edits the most because they most resembled Nathan Beard's work. They seem antiquated whilst still conveying the importance of culture in the images. In my next developments, I would possibly use coloured gems as an overlay and perhaps create more images where the designs cover their whole face.
Third Developments:
Gallery of Inspiration:
For these developments, I am going to recreate some for Beard's coloured images. Here he has taken more modern images of his family, and overlaid a saturated design significant in his Thai culture. I would like to achieve this whilst also displaying the contrast in cultures between the Bengali traditions and the English traditions.
Editing Process:
I used photoshop to edit these images. To begin with, I had to take the images. I used the same techniques as my second developments, however I used coloured jems and stuck them into a pattern. After taking the pictures, I began by cropping them so that the white background is not included.
The next thing I do is lower the saturation of the image and add a colour lookup. I choose thee candlelight option. However, this can sometimes be too intense, so I lower the opacity of this. After this I increase the saturation again so I can restore the colour to the design.
I wanted to make this edit double exposure, so I unlocked the background, so that I could move the positioning of it. I then duplicated the layer and rasterised it. I then flipped the image and positioned it so that it seemed mirrored.
Before I save this edit, I had to make sure that the images were merged. I then saved the image as a jpeg and uploaded it to my website.
Edits:
These are my third developments. For these edits, I recreated this artists coloured images. Nathan Beard, bejewelled his old family photos with coloured jems to create a certain pattern or design. For my edits, I have printed out some of my original edits and imprinted designs that originated from Bangladesh and England. In all of these edits, the designs covered their full face. The colour saffron shown in some of these edits, is the national colour of Bengal and purple is an important colour in England. Saffron represents courage and sacrifice whereas purple is associated with strength and power. Through using colour to represent similar ideas in different cultures, it allows me to explore the difference in culture between the two countries. Some others of these edits, display the flag of the country. Others show patterns that were similarly constructed to Nathan Beard's work.
Highlighting Success:
For these developments, I have selected images that were the most similar to Beard's work. I chose a range of more simple designs and some more detailed ones in this gallery. These images were successful because they also highlighted the culture of the two places I am exploring in my work. During a reshoot, I would maybe vary the positioning of the images I took and add colour to the original photos.
AO4 Ideas:
For my final outcome for Nathan Beard, I am going to frame some of my edits. I want to choose some from my first developments and some from my second and third. I am going to print these images out and perhaps collage some of them. For one of my outcomes, I would like to recreate this image from a gallery of this artist's work.
Final Outcome:
To conclude my study on Nathan Beard, I have created a final outcome by framing some of my edits from each developments and recreating the image from above. I wanted to show the progress from beginning with black and white edits and then making coloured ones, with more complicated designs. Throughout this, I have wanted to show the differences and similarities between the Bengali culture and the English culture. I have shown the different flags, the colours associated with each culture and their traditions and through designs and patterns. In a reshoot, I would try to make more complicated designs and change the compositions. For example, I would photograph different subjects or people. All these images were taken with an f-stop of 1.8, which helps to blur the background and allow the image to focus on specific parts of the photo rather than the whole composition. This is achieved through the wider lens which then can let more light in the lens and allow better focus. To heighten this affect I use an ISO of 32.
Reshoot:
Contact Sheet:
To improve my work and make the images more exciting, I would like to conduct another photoshoot, recreating my first developments but photographing using different angles, including some which are more close-up. This would mean the images would have a lower aperture and a high exposure, because this will show development of this artist. Some of this artist's work and the developments I have done are not as exciting and striking as they could be. This contact sheet shows the images that I took.
Edits:
These edits improve on my previous Nathan Beard work, by showing how using colour and more obscure angles such as a low angle or a close-up angle, not just a medium shot, which all the other photos were taken with, makes these edits more exciting. By adding bolder hues and not making the images monochromatic or antiquated, I have modernised my photographs, while still incorporating ideas and designs from Nathan Beard's work. These images were taken with an f-stop of 1.8, which helps to blur the background and allow the image to focus on specific parts of the photo rather than the whole composition. This is achieved through the wider lens which then can let more light in the lens and allow better focus. To heighten this affect I use an ISO of 32.
Highlighting Success:
These images have been chosen to feature in this gallery because the unique angles with which they have been taken with help to add dimension and a central focus to the photos, by blurring out the background and focusing on one or a couple gems in particular. This was aided by a low aperture, 1.8. To improve this work, I could explore projection and how projecting patterns would help to make this work more eye-catching.
Gifs:
To improve my work and develop the idea of modernizing Nathan Beard's work, I conducted another photoshoot in order to create these three gifs. The images are taken with an ISO of 132 and an aperture of 1.8, in order to make the central composition, which in this case are the gems the focus of the photographs, by blurring out the white background behind and drawing the viewer's attention to the gems and the model's eyes or facial movements. I used gifmaker to convert the images into a moving image.
Final Outcome:
In this highlighting success I chose this gif because of the way that the movement flows and appears to be not only chronological but also smooth. The change from one image to another is not obvious. In this case I used the colours of the German flag because my mum is German. This shows how I have continued imbedding cultural identity even when modernisng Nathan Beard's work. To improve this work, I could stick the gems on other surfaces. For example, on glass and then photograph a face underneath it.
Editing Process:
To begin with, I used the photos that were converted into a gif and opened them on photoshop. Next, I added this layer, which when blended will make the image have an archaic look. I enlarged it so that the filter covered all of the background layer.
After this, I changed the blending option on the image because this would make the original layer visible beneath. In this case, I wanted to eliminate the white spaces, so I chose the darken option. This left the image with a filter that would be seen on old photos.
To then heighten the antique visual, I changed the colour lookup to Candlelight blue. This adds a warm tint to the image, which is visible in my previous work and Nathan Beard's photography.
Finally, I lowered the saturation, so my edit subtly resembled a black and white image. I then saved the images as jpegs and used gif maker to convert the new edits to a gif. The animation speed was 100, so the motion ran smoothly.
Final Outcome:
Although, I have adapted how Nathan Beard works in order to make it more modern, through using colour and gifs, for my final outcome, I wanted to translate Nathan Beard's exploration of old cultural identity. To do this, I changed the filter on the images through photoshop to show reference to his style of photography, and the old photographs that he bejewelled. I begun my work on Nathan Beard looking at the difference between cultures between my sister, who is English, and her best friend, who is Bengali. This was shown through the designs that I created on each of their faces and the borders, I used in the bordered edits. This is seen in my first, second and multiple exposure edits. I have now moved to focusing on the other part of my culture, through my mother who is German, by using colours resembling that country in the designs. By creating a gif, the image is given depth and appears more lifelike and animated. This is referencing how I began to add my own ideas, by imitating more modern images and using new camera techniques. The images are taken with an ISO of 132 and an aperture of 1.8, in order to make the central composition, which in this case are the gems the focus of the photographs, by blurring out the white background behind and drawing the viewer's attention to the gems and the model's eyes or facial movements.